The Democratic Party of Korea, which has been demanding that Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de step down voluntarily, raised the pressure by saying it would begin a full review of impeachment. With support for the ruling bloc on the decline, the move is read as an attempt to rally its base by pursuing Jo's impeachment on the heels of a special counsel bill on fabricated indictments. The People Power Party warned that the push to impeach Jo will ultimately lead to the impeachment of President Lee Jae-myung.
Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok said on the 16th on the party's YouTube program "Minty 07" that regarding Jo's impeachment, "wide-ranging demands are already being made, so you can take it that we have begun discussions with all methods and every possible path on the table." The remark suggested the party has already started a legal review of impeachment. Kim added, "Up to a certain point, I thought it was better not to utter even the first letter of the word impeachment and instead give the public a deep and sufficient process of explanation and understanding." He said, "Now we are putting together a comprehensive case for why he cannot but resign."
Democratic Party members of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee backed Kim's comments. Rep. Kim Ki-pyo said, "The grounds for impeachment are more than ample," and argued, "He must be impeached now, without question, at this juncture." Rep. Park Kyoun-taek said, "Denying the constitutional clause on the president's appointment power, and refusing to take the oath as a witness at the parliamentary audit in violation of the law on testimony before the National Assembly, can sufficiently constitute grounds for impeachment." Within the party, however, a considerable number of voices are said to be worried about a backlash from pursuing impeachment.
The People Power Party objected, saying the Democratic Party's push to impeach Jo is an attempt to prevent the resumption of President Lee's trials. People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk, citing the regular reassignment of judges scheduled for February next year, argued, "Impeaching Chief Justice Jo is about suspending him from duty to block him from exercising his personnel authority." He added, "That is because Lee's trials would resume if the bench changes," and criticized the party by saying, "The Democratic Party's goal is not impeachment. In the end, the goal is suspending the chief justice from duty."
The People Power Party struck back by raising the possibility of impeaching Lee as well. People Power Party floor leader Chung Jom-sig said that day, "If the Democratic Party is so confident, let it try to impeach Chief Justice Jo," adding, "The moment an impeachment motion is introduced, the president will be reduced to a dead duck. The public will rise up and shout for Lee Jae-myung's impeachment."
Separately, Seoul High Court Chief Judge Kim Dae-woong, asked at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's parliamentary audit that day by People Power Party Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun which takes precedence between the president's power of appointment and the chief justice's power of nomination, replied, "I do not think there is any hierarchy among the power of nomination, the power of consent and the power of appointment."